Taking the Fright out of Halloween Treats: ARAMARK Dietitians Offer a Tasty Twist...

Taking the Fright out of Halloween Treats: ARAMARK Dietitians Offer a Tasty Twist to Seasonal Sweets

PHILADELPHIA--(Business Wire)--
Whether it's Indiana Jones or Hannah Montana at your door on
Halloween, ARAMARK suggests a slight variation on this year's holiday
treats. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 more than
doubled in the past 20 years.(1) This means that overweight children
and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with
cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents.

Fortunately, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition
Education and Behavior demonstrated that, when given a choice, nearly
half of the children who were ages 3-14 chose non-candy treats over
traditional chocolate and sugar.(2)

"Offering healthier snack options or fun alternatives to Halloween
treats can keep kids and adults healthier and happier," said Sue
Kinzler, RD, LDN, Patient and Family Service Manager for ARAMARK at
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Since adults often end up
snacking on the candy they are handing out to trick-or-treaters or the
candy that their children bring home, providing alternatives can
impact the health of an entire family."

That's why ARAMARK Dietitians are using their expertise to suggest
some healthy alternatives to Halloween snacks that the ghosts and
goblins of 2008 will enjoy:

1. Low-fat, individually packaged snacks like low-fat granola
bars, pretzels, or 100-calories packs.

2. Small packages of trail mix or dried fruit/raisins.

3. Small packages of fun snacks like teddy bear-shaped graham
crackers, animal crackers or goldfish.

4. Popcorn.

5. Non-food treats like stickers, crayons and coloring books,
colorful pens, stickers, frisbees and colorful balls.

6. Sugar-free gum or candy.

In addition, here are some guidelines that adults can follow to
help children enjoy the holiday, while staying healthy.

-- Before the holiday begins, establish rules up front to limit
sweets.

-- For those candy eaters: Avoid buying more candy than you need
and consider buying the mini-size version.

-- If your family does bring home large amounts of candy treats,
offer prizes or awards to trade them in.

-- Limit the treats each day or week and reward this too, with a
movie out, an outing to the park or a local event in your
area. Adding exercise as a reward will double the fun for a
healthier you.

Kinzler added, "Remember that small changes have impact and are
better than no change at all. So have fun and mix it up for a Healthy
and Happy Halloween."

As an ADA partner in the American Dietetic Association's (ADA)
Corporate Relations Sponsorship program, ARAMARK is committed to
developing joint consumer education programs, elevating awareness of
registered dietitians as the nation's food and nutrition experts, and
making a greater impact on public health. One of America's largest
employers of dietitians, ARAMARK is the only professional services
company to be an ADA Partner.

"At ARAMARK, we have the opportunity and expertise to help
educate, enable and encourage people of all ages to adopt healthier
eating practices and more healthy lifestyles to help in the fight
against obesity and other conditions," says Robert Dennill, ARAMARK's
Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.

About ARAMARK

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing
award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and
career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school
districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In
FORTUNE magazine's 2008 list of "America's Most Admired Companies,"
ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking
since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its
industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK also ranked first
in its industry in the 2007 FORTUNE 500 survey. ARAMARK seeks to
responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers,
employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy,
environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community
involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately
250,000 employees serving clients in 19 countries. Learn more at the
company's Web site, www.aramark.com.

(1) http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/DNPA/obesity/childhood/index.htm

(2)
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4105_ENU_HTML.htm

ARAMARK
Nicole Kennedy
215-238-8241
kennedy-nicole@aramark.com
or
Lauren Schulz
215-409-7275
schulz-lauren@aramark.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008